U.S. patent number 10,965,490 [Application Number 16/014,249] was granted by the patent office on 2021-03-30 for data service including channel group.
This patent grant is currently assigned to AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY II, L.P.. The grantee listed for this patent is AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY II, L.P.. Invention is credited to Bhavesh N. Desai, Nemmara K. Shankaranarayanan, David Hilton Shur, Aleksandra Smiljanic, Todd J. Totland, Jacobus E. Van der Merwe, Sheryl Leigh Woodward.
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United States Patent |
10,965,490 |
Desai , et al. |
March 30, 2021 |
Data service including channel group
Abstract
A method includes dividing, at a cable modem termination system,
a transmit stream into multiple data streams. The multiple data
streams include a first data stream and a second data stream. Each
of the multiple data streams has a lower bit rate than a bit rate
of the transmit stream. The method includes transmitting, via the
cable modem termination system, the first data stream over at least
a first channel of a group of channels. The method also includes
transmitting, via the cable modem termination system, the second
data stream over at least a second channel of the group of
channels. The group of channels supports traffic to a plurality of
destinations. The first channel and the second channel are
frequency-division multiplexed channels.
Inventors: |
Desai; Bhavesh N. (Livingston,
NJ), Shankaranarayanan; Nemmara K. (Bridgewater, NJ),
Shur; David Hilton (Holmdel, NJ), Smiljanic; Aleksandra
(Atlantic Highlands, NJ), Totland; Todd J. (Tinton Falls,
NJ), Van der Merwe; Jacobus E. (New Providence, NJ),
Woodward; Sheryl Leigh (Holmdel, NJ) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY II, L.P. |
Atlanta |
GA |
US |
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Assignee: |
AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY II,
L.P. (Atlanta, GA)
|
Family
ID: |
1000005456817 |
Appl.
No.: |
16/014,249 |
Filed: |
June 21, 2018 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20180302236 A1 |
Oct 18, 2018 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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14471879 |
Aug 28, 2014 |
10009190 |
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13177087 |
Oct 7, 2014 |
8855147 |
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12766085 |
Aug 16, 2011 |
8000331 |
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12535147 |
Aug 4, 2009 |
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11215898 |
Aug 31, 2005 |
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09924617 |
Jan 31, 2006 |
6993050 |
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60275665 |
Mar 14, 2001 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L
12/2856 (20130101); H04L 12/2898 (20130101); H04L
12/2861 (20130101); H04L 29/06 (20130101); H04L
25/14 (20130101); H04L 12/2801 (20130101); H04L
69/14 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04L
12/28 (20060101); H04L 29/06 (20060101); H04L
25/14 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Mills; Donald L
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Guntin & Gust, PLC Das;
Atanu
Parent Case Text
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
This application claims priority to, and is a continuation of, U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 14/471,879, filed on Aug. 28, 2014;
which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.
13/177,087, filed on Jul. 6, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,855,147;
which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.
12/766,085, filed on Apr. 23, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,000,331;
which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.
12/535,147, filed on Aug. 4, 2009, now abandoned; which is a
continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/215,898, filed
on Aug. 31, 2005, now abandoned; which is a continuation of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 09/924,617, filed on Aug. 8, 2001, now
U.S. Pat. No. 6,993,050; which claims the benefit of U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 60/275,665 filed on Mar. 14,
2001; the disclosures of each of which are hereby expressly
incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method comprising: obtaining, at a cable modem termination
system including a processor, a transmit stream from a router;
identifying, at the cable modem termination system, a group of
packets from the transmit stream; identifying, at the cable modem
termination system, a destination Internet Protocol (IP) address
for each of the group of packets resulting in a group of
destination IP addresses; dividing, at the cable modem termination
system, the transmit stream into multiple data streams in response
to determining, at the cable modem termination system, that each of
the group of destination IP addresses are associated with an
address space, the multiple data streams including at least a first
data stream and a second data stream, wherein each of the multiple
data streams has a lower bit rate than a bit rate of the transmit
stream, wherein the address space is associated with a group of
users, wherein the group of users are associated with a service
that includes the dividing of the transmit stream into the multiple
data streams; detecting, at the cable modem termination system, a
first available bandwidth for a first channel of a group of
channels and detecting, at the cable modem termination system, a
second available bandwidth for a second channel of the group of
channels; in response to the detecting of the first available
bandwidth and the detecting of the second available bandwidth:
transmitting, via the cable modem termination system, the first
data stream over at least the first channel of the group of
channels, the group of channels supporting traffic to a plurality
of destinations; and transmitting, via the cable modem termination
system, the second data stream over at least the second channel of
the group of channels, wherein the first channel and the second
channel are frequency-division multiplexed channels.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the transmit
stream.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein first data is communicated to a
first destination of the plurality of destinations via at least the
first channel, and wherein second data is communicated to a second
destination of the plurality of destinations via at least the
second channel.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one destination of the
plurality of destinations includes a cable modem.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple data streams are
recombinable to form a combined data stream, and wherein the
combined data stream has a bit rate equal to the bit rate of the
transmit stream.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first channel and the second
channel are channels of a hybrid fiber coaxial network.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first channel and the second
channel are channels of a coaxial network.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first channel is an
orthogonal frequency division multiplexing channel.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first channel and the second
channel are downstream channels.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein first packets of the first data
stream and second packets of the second data stream include
sequence numbers.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the sequence numbers enable
selective re-sequencing of the first packets and the second packets
based on the sequence numbers at a destination device.
12. A cable modem termination system comprising: a transmit device;
and a processing system including a processor coupled to the
transmit device; a memory that stores executable instructions that,
when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of
operations, the operations including: obtaining a transmit stream
from a router; identifying a group of packets from the transmit
stream; identifying a destination Internet Protocol (IP) address
for each of the group of packets resulting in a group of
destination IP addresses; dividing the transmit stream into
multiple data streams, the multiple data streams including a first
data stream and a second data stream in response to determining
that each of the group of destination IP addresses are associated
with an address space, wherein each of the multiple data streams
has a lower bit rate than a bit rate of the transmit stream,
wherein the address space is associated with a group of users,
wherein the group of users are associated with a service that
includes the dividing of the transmit stream into the multiple data
streams; detecting a first available bandwidth for a first channel
of a group of channels and detecting a second available bandwidth
for a second channel of the group of channels; in response to the
detecting of the first available bandwidth and the detecting of the
second available bandwidth: causing the transmit device to transmit
the first data stream over at least the first channel of the group
of channels, the group of channels supporting traffic to a
plurality of destinations; and causing the transmit device to
transmit the second data stream over at least the second channel of
the group of channels, wherein the first channel and the second
channel are frequency-division multiplexed channels.
13. The cable modem termination system of claim 12, wherein the
first channel is an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing
channel.
14. The cable modem termination system of claim 12, wherein the
second channel is an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing
channel.
15. The cable modem termination system of claim 12, wherein first
packets of the first data stream and second packets of the second
data stream include sequence numbers.
16. The cable modem termination system of claim 12, wherein the
multiple data streams are recombinable to form a combined data
stream, and wherein the combined data stream has a bit rate equal
to the bit rate of the transmit stream.
17. A system comprising: a processing system including a processor;
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by
the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the
operations comprising: obtaining a transmit stream from a router;
identifying a group of packets from the transmit stream;
identifying a destination Internet Protocol (IP) address for each
of the group of packets resulting in a group of destination IP
addresses; dividing the transmit stream into multiple data streams
in response to determining that each of the group of destination IP
addresses are associated with an address space, wherein each of the
multiple data streams has a bit rate that is lower than a bit rate
of the transmit stream, wherein the address space is associated
with a group of users, wherein the group of users are associated
with a service that includes the dividing of the transmit stream
into the multiple data streams; modulating, by a first
communication component, a first data stream of the multiple data
streams; modulating, by a second communication component, a second
data stream of the multiple data streams; detecting a first
available bandwidth for a first channel of a group of channels and
detecting a second available bandwidth for a second channel of the
group of channels; and in response to the detecting of the first
available bandwidth and the detecting of the second available
bandwidth, transmitting, by one or more transmitters, the first
data stream over at least the first channel of the group of
channels and transmitting the second data stream over at least the
second channel of the group of channels, the group of channels
supporting traffic to a plurality of destinations, wherein the
first channel and the second channel are frequency-division
multiplexed channels, wherein packets of the first data stream and
the second data stream include sequence numbers, and wherein the
multiple data streams are recombinable to form a combined data
stream that has a bit rate equal to the bit rate of the transmit
stream.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first channel and the
second channel are channels of a hybrid fiber coaxial network or a
coaxial network.
19. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first
channel or the second channel is an orthogonal frequency division
multiplexing channel.
20. The system of claim 17, wherein the first communication
component comprises a modulator.
Description
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
The present disclosure relates to a data service that includes a
channel group.
BACKGROUND
As is known in the art, in addition to the transmission of
television signals, it has been recognized that a cable network can
also be used to transmit other types of data between remote
locations. Thus, the cable network of the cable industry may be
used as an alternative to communicating data via conventional
telephone networks, such as the public switched telephone network
(PSTN) for example.
In this regard, cable networks are currently being used to transmit
data to and from subscribers located at remote locations. Each
subscriber location includes a cable modem (CM) capable of
communicating with a cable modem termination system (CMTS) located
at a central cable station (or headend). The headend provides
television signals to customers, as well as modulated data signals
to each subscriber modem. Cable connections between the CMTS at the
central cable station and the subscriber modems currently exist so
that data packets such as internet protocol (IP) datagrams can be
transmitted between the central cable station and each of the
subscriber modems.
In general, each connection between a subscriber modem and the
central cable station includes two channels, an upstream channel on
which signals having one frequency range propagate and a downstream
channel on which signals having a different frequency range
propagate. The downstream channel is used to transmit data from the
central cable station to the subscriber modems, and the upstream
channel is used to transmit data from the subscriber modems to the
CMTS at the central cable station. Thus, the CMs are coupled in
communication with the CMTS to receive information on a so-called
"downstream channel" and to communicate information to the CMTS on
a so-called "upstream channel."
Particular characteristics (e.g., frequency, power levels, etc) of
the upstream channel are determined at the time the CM is
initialized. The CM at the user or subscriber site typically
connects to a personal computer (PC) through an Ethernet port while
the CMTS typically enables connection to a network through a high
speed Ethernet interface, although other types of network
connection are possible.
As is also known, The Radio Frequency Interface Specification,
Data-over-cable Service Interface Specifications, available from
the Cable Television Laboratories, Inc. (DOCSIS) describes
operating parameters for a cable modem network. DOCSIS is the
defacto standard for cable modem products in North America. To
carry data downstream, from the headend to the subscribers, a
single 6 MHz-wide radio frequency (RF) channel is used.
The 6 MHz channel is located in the 55 to 860 MHz frequency band.
The RF modulation format used over this channel is typically 64- or
256-QAM. A CMTS resides in the headend. The CMTS typically contains
multiple line cards, each capable of transmitting 30 to 40 Mbps
downstream. In practice, FEC reduces this number slightly and 27
Mbps is typically achieved over a 64-QAM channel. This downstream
channel will be shared by the subscribers within the serving area
of that line card. Cable modems receive the data, and transmit the
user's data to his computer or LAN via a 10 or 100 BaseT
connection.
On the upstream channel, data from the user's local area network
(LAN) is transmitted to the headend using an RF channel in the 5-42
MHz band of the upstream channel. Typically, quadrature phase-shift
keying (QPSK) transmission is used, although the DOCSIS standard
includes more bandwidth efficient formats. Such efficient
modulation formats typically can be used in CATV systems having a
relatively small amount of interfering signals and noise. The CMTS
line card coordinates the upstream data channels, so that only one
cable modem transmits at a time. Frequently, a single CMTS card
will coordinate multiple upstream channels.
As 100 Mbps fast-Ethernet becomes more popular, consumers will
develop a growing desire for cable-modem connections that are
faster than currently available cable-modem connections. There are
a variety of ways that a user's bit rate can be improved. One
approach to improve the performance of a cable-modem service is to
segment the serving area so that fewer users share a channel. While
this increases the user's average bit-rate, and provides a better
user-experience for streaming media applications, the peak rate
remains unchanged. For "bursty" applications, improving the peak
rate not only reduces the time it takes to download large files, it
has the additional advantage of allowing more users to share the
limited available bandwidth without compromising the users'
service. The larger the bandwidth being shared by a population of
users with the same traffic demand, the more efficiently the
bandwidth can be used.
As is also known, there exist a variety of techniques for improving
the peak rate. These techniques can be broken into several basic
categories. One category of techniques includes those techniques
that utilize a more spectrally-efficient modulation format. One
problem with this category of solutions, however, is that this
places strenuous demands on the system's signal-to-noise ratio
(SNR), which current systems might not be able to meet. Another
category of techniques includes those techniques that utilize
serial transmission over channels broader than those specified in
the current DOCSIS standards. This approach would allow an increase
of the symbol rate but would require that agreements be reached
concerning new allocations of spectrum, and the design of new
electronic systems capable of transmitting at these higher
rates.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of
illustration, elements illustrated in the Figures have not
necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of
some of the elements are exaggerated relative to other elements.
Embodiments incorporating teachings of the present disclosure are
shown and described with respect to the drawings presented herein,
in which:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a downstream path of a transmission
system;
FIG. 1A is a block diagram of a downstream path of a transmission
system that includes a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
gateway;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an upstream path of a transmission
system;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a demodulator portion of a FastChannel
modem;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a modulator portion of a FastChannel
modem;
FIG. 5 is a block diagram which illustrates bundling Data Over
Cable Standard Interface Specification (DOCSIS) channels via
internet protocol (IP) tunneling; and
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a demodulator portion of a FastChannel
modem.
The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings
indicates similar or identical items.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The numerous innovative teachings of the present application will
be described with particular reference to the presently preferred
exemplary embodiments. However, it should be understood that this
class of embodiments provides only a few examples of the many
advantageous uses of the innovative teachings herein. In general,
statements made in the specification of the present application do
not necessarily limit any of the various claimed inventions.
Moreover, some statements may apply to some inventive features but
not to others.
Referring now to FIG. 1, a downstream path of a transmission system
10 includes a first router 12 coupled to a tunnel source (also
referred to as a sending tunnel end-point) 16 through a first
signal path 14 (referred to hereinbelow as a FastChannel path).
Tunnel source 16 is coupled to a cable modem termination system
(CMTS) 20 through a second signal path 18 here shown as signal
paths 18a-18d. It should be appreciated that the tunnel source 16
can functionally reside in a separate box upstream of the CMTS 20
as shown in FIG. 1. Alternatively, however, the tunnel source 16
can functionally reside within the CMTS 20 or the router 12.
The CMTS 20 includes a CMTS router 22 and a plurality of quadrature
amplitude modulators (QAMs) 24a-24d generally denoted 24. Router 12
is also coupled to the CMTS 20, and in particular to the CMTS
router 22, via a signal path 26. The purpose of the signal paths 14
and 26 will next be described in general overview.
In the system of the present disclosure, a packet encapsulation and
tunneling procedure can be used which includes two different IP
address spaces associated with IP over cable offerings. A first
address space (referred to as an L address space) is for existing
single-channel users operating in accordance with the Data Over
Cable Standard Interface Specification (DOCSIS). A second address
space (referred to as an F address space) is for FastChannel users
(i.e. users of the protocol described herein). The router 12 is
adjacent to and upstream of the CMTS 20, such that, if a packet
having a destination address in the L address space is received,
the router 12 directly routes the packet to the CMTS 20 via signal
path 26 without passing through the tunneling node 16. If, however,
a packet having a destination address in the F address space is
received, the router 12 forwards the packet to the tunnel source
16. Tunnel source 16 receives data provided thereto from the router
12 and divides the serialized data stream into a plurality of
parallel channels that are fed via the signal path 18a to the CMTS
20.
It should be noted that in FIG. 1, signals paths 18b-18d are shown
in phantom to indicate that the parallel signals are logically
separate but can be transmitted on a single physical signal path
(e.g. a single wire) such as the signal path 18a.
Whether fed to the CMTS router 22 via the FastChannel path 14 or
via the legacy path 26, the CMTS router 22 provides each of the
signals to one of a plurality of modulators 24a-24d generally
denoted 24. In this particular embodiment, where it is desirable to
be compatible with the DOCSIS protocol, the modulators 24 are
preferably provided as quadrature amplitude modulators (QAMs). It
should be appreciated, however, that in other embodiments it may be
desirable or even necessary to utilize other types of modulators
including but not limited to quadrature phase-shift keyed (QPSK),
spread spectrum, orthogonal-frequency-division multiplexed (OFDM)
and code-division multiple-access (CDMA) modulators.
A plurality of parallel channels 28a-28d is formed via the CMTS
router 22 and the QAM modulators 24a-24d. Each of the modulators 24
modulates the signal fed thereto and provides the so-modulated
signal to a corresponding one of a plurality of radio frequency
(RF) channels in a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network 30. It should
be understood that the parallel channels may or may not be adjacent
one another in frequency. HFC 30 corresponds to a cable network
utilizing a combination of optical fibers and coaxial cables of the
types known to be used in the cable television industry for
transmission of television signals. Alternatively, HFC 30 could be
replaced with a wireless system, wherein signals are transmitted
over the air, typically using the MMDS band, rather than over HFC
plant as described for example, in AT&T Labs broadband fixed
wireless field experiment, Byoung-Jo Kim; Shankaranarayanan, N. K.;
Henry, P. S.; Schlosser, K.; Fong, T. K. IEEE Communications
Magazine, Volume: 37 Issue: Oct. 10, 1999 page(s) 56-62.
Signals are provided via the parallel channels and the HFC 30 to a
corresponding plurality of demodulators 32 here provided as
quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) demodulators 32. The
demodulators 32 provide demodulated signals to a tunnel destination
34 (also referred to as a destination end-point) which receives the
demodulated tunnel source signals and re-serializes the data. Thus,
a plurality of channels is coupled between the tunnel source 16 and
the tunnel destination 34.
The tunnel destination 34 is coupled to personal computers (PCs) or
other devices of a user or subscriber, typically via a 100 baseT
local area network (LAN) connection.
In one embodiment, each of the channels 28a-28d is provided as an
RF channel between the send and receive sites and virtual links are
established over each of the RF channels. Packets are distributed
over these virtual links in a controlled fashion. Thus, virtual
links can be established over each RF channel between send and
receive sites. As used herein the term "virtual link" means a
logical connection between a sender and a receiver, where both ends
are addressable via some type of address. Data is sent via packets
or link layer frames, which contain the sending and receiving
address (as well as other information) in a packet or frame header.
Many virtual links can share the same physical link. In one
embodiment, the virtual links are established via a MAC-layer
process. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that
the MAC layer is also known as an OSI layer 2.
In another embodiment, the virtual links are provided via an
Internet Protocol IP within IP encapsulation or tunneling process.
It should be appreciated, however, that other tunneling processes
including but not limited to IP within User Datagram Protocol
(UDP), IP within TCP can also be used. Technically it is possible
to encapsulate IP within the network layer packets of other
protocols such as X.25. It should be understood that as used
herein, the term "IP tunneling" includes IP over TCP and UDP or any
other mechanism by which IP is the inside layer, and IP, TCP or UDP
is the outside layer.
For the illustrative embodiment IP encapsulation within IP, and IP
tunneling are used. This technique allows an incoming IP packet to
be placed in the payload field of an encapsulation packet having
source and destination address headers which point to the
respective end-points of the tunnel. When received at the
destination tunnel, the encapsulation header is stripped off, and
the original packet is forwarded by the tunnel end-point toward the
original destination. The sending tunnel end-point can functionally
reside in a separate box upstream of the CMTS. The receiving tunnel
end-point will reside in a box, which terminates the N cable modem
MAC interfaces. Each cable modem interface is assigned an IP
address and multiple tunnels are created from the sending end-point
to the IP address endpoints of each cable modem.
The packets are distributed over the virtual links in a controlled
fashion. In one embodiment, control over the packet distribution is
provided by load balancing. As used herein, the term "load
balancing" includes but is not limited to adjustment of system
characteristics to adjust and fix congestion situations or to avoid
them. Load balancing can be achieved via monitoring or scheduling
techniques. When using a monitoring technique, system
characteristics are adjusted once a particular condition or state,
such as an overload condition, is detected. When using a scheduling
technique, on the other hand, system characteristics (e.g. quality
of service-QOS) are monitored and system adjustments are made prior
to an overload condition occurring.
Each virtual link (both upstream and downstream) may be shared by
multiple data flows, where data flows might have the same or
different sources and destinations. Scheduling policies provide QoS
to these flows, primarily bandwidth and delay. Flows carrying
interactive applications (including but not limited to voice calls
and video conferencing) have stringent delay requirements that
should be fulfilled. For the applied scheduling policy and existing
flows with their QoS requirements, resources will be assigned to a
new flow with the specified QoS requirements if they are available.
DOCSIS defines the admission control procedure: how the resource is
requested by the higher layer protocols, and how the information
about the resource availability is stored in CMTS. DOCSIS also
defines QoS parameters that applications may specify when
requesting the resource. In accordance with the present technique,
the resource will be assigned to users that utilize multiple
virtual links with the higher probability. The QoS capabilities of
IP that is likely to carry data in the access network in question
are currently under development.
In some embodiments, each of the plurality of RF channels is
adjacent in frequency while in other embodiments, each of the
plurality of RF channels is not adjacent in frequency. Allowing the
channels to be not adjacent in frequency permits greater
flexibility when interworking with an existing cable plant which
may already contain a high occupancy of video channels. Using
adjacent channels may simplify the modem design, as a single
down-converter and digital-to-analog converter may be used. The
adjacent channels can then be separated using digital
techniques.
There are various alternative methods for utilizing the bandwidth
of parallel channels, namely: (1) the bit-level, (2) the media
access control (MAC) frame level, and (3) the IP level. It should
be appreciated that since the bit-level method would not be
compatible with supporting simultaneously single-channel
transmission and multiple-channel transmission it may not be
appropriate for this application.
The MAC frame level technique involves distributing the MAC
transmission frames across the multiple channels, and recombining
the frames into a single stream at the modem. The IP packet level
technique involves distributing the packets across the multiple
channels, and recombining the packets into a single stream at the
modem. The differences between these two alternatives are that in
the frame-level case, a channel number/frequency band must be
mapped to a different MAC destination address, while in the packet
level case a channel number/frequency band must be mapped to a
different IP address. The frame level method integrates the
recombining of packets with the cable modem. In contrast, the
packet level method allows the tunnel end-point to be placed
"outside" a DOCSIS cable modem. It should be appreciated that in
this approach, the FastChannel modem could be constructed from
multiple DOCSIS cable modems and a tunneling end-point. Similarly
the distribution of packets is most natural inside the CMTS with
the frame method, and may take place outside the CMTS with the
packet method. The frame level method will allow relatively tight
integration into the CMTS and modem components and therefore may be
most cost-effective in the long run. It should be noted that for
this option, in order to incorporate the relevant functionality
changes that one would need to make to the CMTS, the FastChannel
modems could not be created by simply combining together several
current DOCSIS cable modems. The packet level method, while
possibly not optimal in the long run, allows use of existing cable
modems and CMTS without requiring modification to the CMTS.
The packet level method allows the tunneling end-points to be
separate from the CMTS and DOCSIS cable modems. Furthermore, a
tunneling end-point that is separate from the CMTS can serve
multiple CMTS. This may make it easier to add capacity to a system,
as additional DOCSIS channels could be added, and served with the
FastChannel protocol, without needing to upgrade the previously
installed CMTS.
In one example, assume there are N parallel channels assigned to
FastChannel cable modems. In this case CMTS 20 maintains N separate
output queues, one for each RF channel. In FIG. 1, four queues
28a-28d are shown. Frames are thus placed into one of the four
output channels as they arrive.
It should be appreciated that it is important to minimize the
fraction of out-of-sequence packets. If packet sequence numbers
were employed (by means of a sequence number field in the
encapsulation header), out-of-sequence packets can be eliminated.
This is the approach taken with the known PPP Multi-link Protocol
(MLP). While the use of PPP MLP would lead to the desired result,
the PPP protocol is overkill for the job at hand. It is thus
suggested that it is possible to obtain a satisfactory
out-of-sequence packet minimization through a suitably chosen queue
management algorithm, and without the use of sequence numbers in an
encapsulation header. However some care is needed in the algorithm
selection. Placing frames into queues in a round-robin fashion
could lead to mis-ordering. For example, suppose one queue is
backed-up and another is empty, and the first frame is placed in
the backed-up queue, and the second frame placed in the empty
queue. It is possible that in this case the second frame may arrive
at the receiver before the first frame. To address this particular
problem, an alternative queuing discipline comprises insertion of
frames into the shortest queue, where the "shortest" metric should
represent frame service time. It is possible to estimate the frame
service time based on an appropriate combination of byte and packet
counts in the output buffer.
On the receiving side in the modem, a frame "serialization"
function is required, which simply plays out received frames
serially into the output in the MAC-level driver, in the order in
which they were received. Optimally, order should be measured as
the time at which the first byte of the frame is received rather
than the last byte, in order to further reduce the possibility of
frame mis-ordering.
In the case of packet level parallel transmission, IP encapsulation
within IP/IP tunneling can be used. This technique allows an
incoming IP packet to be placed in the payload field of an
encapsulation packet, having source and destination address headers
that point to the respective end-points of the tunnel. When
received at the destination tunnel, the encapsulation header is
stripped off, and the original packet is forwarded by the tunnel
end-point toward the original destination. The proposed use of this
technique is described in detail below in conjunction with FIG.
5.
The tunnel destination 34 can reside in a box, which terminates the
N cable modem MAC interfaces. Each cable modem interface is
assigned an IP address, and multiple tunnels are created from the
sending end-point (e.g. tunnel source 16), to the IP address
endpoints of each cable modem. A queue-scheduling algorithm is
employed at the end point of the sending tunnel 16, which uniformly
distributes the IP packets over each tunnel.
The choice of queue scheduling algorithm to minimize mis-ordering
is again relevant. One difference between the IP and MAC approaches
is that in the IP-based approach, the tunnel does not have access
to the output buffer state on the CMTS itself, only on the tunnel
machine. The tunnel buffer state may not be the same as the CMTS
buffer state. If it turns out that packet sequence problems may
arise because of this difference, it may be necessary to add a
sequence number field to the encapsulation header.
Referring now to FIG. 1A, in the case where the FastChannel system
is implemented in a downstream path but not an upstream path, the
downstream transmission rate of TCP is limited by the speed at
which an acknowledgement is received from the upstream module. To
increase this speed, a known transmission control protocol (TCP)
gateway 13 is interposed between the router 12 and the tunnel
source 16. In this optional embodiment, the TCP gateway
transparently terminates the TCP connection, provides
acknowledgements back to the sending node, prior to them being
received by the TCP receiver. The sender is therefore able to grow
its transmission window faster and send data faster than it would
otherwise be able to.
Referring now to FIG. 2, an upstream path of a transmission system
such as the transmission system 10 described above in conjunction
with FIGS. 1 and 1A includes subscriber systems 36 that transmit
signals through IP tunnel sources 38. The tunnel sources 38 form a
plurality of channels 40a-40d each of which are coupled to one of a
plurality of upstream modulators 42a-42d which in turn are coupled
to an HFC 44.
The upstream plurality of parallel channels is coupled to a CMTS 46
and in particular, the parallel channels are coupled to
corresponding ones of a plurality of demodulators 48a-48d,
generally denoted 48. The upstream demodulators provide the signal
to a CMTS router 50 which in turn provides the signals to an IP
tunnel destination 52 and subsequently to a router 54.
In this manner signals can be transmitted in the upstream direction
within the transmission system.
The MAC frame level technique and the (IP) packet level technique
for utilizing the bandwidth of the parallel channels discussed
above in the downstream case can also be used in the upstream
case.
Referring now to FIG. 3, a demodulator 60 of the type that may be
used in a modem coupled to receive signals from a FastChannel
signal path includes a tuner 62 provided from a downconverter
module 64 having a local oscillator (LO) 66 coupled thereto. The
downconverter module 64 receives RF signals at a first port thereof
and an LO signal at a second port thereof and provides an output
signal having a frequency equal to the difference between the
frequencies of the RF signal and the LO signal.
It should be appreciated that the demodulator embodiment shown in
FIG. 3 requires that the parallel channels be adjacent to one
another. It should also be understood that other demodulator
embodiments may not require that the parallel channels be adjacent
one another.
The tuner, band pass filter and ADC can be provided having
performance characteristics that are similar or in some instances
even identical to those used in serial modems.
The downconverter module output signal is provided to a filter 68
having a band pass filter characteristic. The so-filtered signal is
then fed to an input port of an analog to digital converter (ADC)
70, which receives the analog signal at an input thereof and
provides at an output port thereof a stream of bits which
represents the analog signal fed thereto.
The ADC 70 is followed by processors 72a-72d generally denoted 72
each of which simulates a filter having a band pass filter
characteristic. Thus, processors 72a-72d correspond to digital
filters. In one embodiment, the filters are provided having a 5
megahertz (MHz) bandwidth.
Each band-pass filter 72a-72d is followed by processors 74a-74d,
generally denoted 74, which perform a demodulation process. In one
embodiment, processors 74a-74d perform 5 Msymbols/sec QAM
demodulation. It should be understood that although multiple
processors are shown, this does not mean that multiple chips would
be required. It should also be understood that the processor
requirements of this modem may be easier to meet than those of a
demodulator used in a serial modem, as a band-pass filter is rather
simple computation, and the symbol rate of each QAM channel is
lower. Thus, a single integrated circuit or "chip" can contain
multiple demodulators and digital filters.
The demodulators 74 provide the filtered, demodulated signal to a
serializer 76. Serializer 76 receives the signals in parallel from
the demodulators 74 and re-serializes the packets to provide a
serial signal at an output port 76a.
Referring now to FIG. 4, a modulator portion 80 of a modem includes
a packet inverse multiplexor (mux) 82 adapted to receive signals
from a user. In this particular example the inverse mux 82 is
coupled to a home 100 base T LAN. The inverse mux 82 provides
signals to a plurality of upstream modulators 84a-84d, generally
denoted 84. Each of the modulators 84a-84d modulates the signals
fed thereto at a different frequency, designated F1-F4 in FIG.
4.
The modulators 84 provide signals to a digital signal processor DSP
86 which combines the signals at frequencies F1-F4. The DSP 86
provides a stream of bits to a digital to analog converter (DAC) 88
which receives the bit stream and generates a corresponding analog
signal at an output port thereof. The analog signal is fed from the
DAC 88 to a diplexor 90. Diplexor 90 is adapted to provide signals
to one of the coax signal port and a downstream signal port. The
diplexer 90 sends the upstream signals, which are within a first
frequency band (typically 5-42 MHz) to the headend via the HFC
infrastructure. It simultaneously sends the downstream signals
within a second frequency band (typically this frequency band
begins at 55 MHz and ends somewhere between 500 MHz and 900 MHz) to
the demodulator portion of the FastChannel modem.
Referring now to FIG. 5, a system for processing data in a series
of parallel channels includes a router 92 coupled via a signal path
94 to a tunnel source 96 and via a signal path 98 to a CMTS 100.
The CMTS is coupled via a plurality of cable channels 102a-102N to
a like plurality of tunnel destinations 104a-104N generally denoted
104 on a machine. The tunnel destinations are coupled to a
processor or computer 106 via a standard network interface such as
an Ethernet interface. Also depicted is a Personal Computer (PC)
106 having an address E. PC 106 represents a conventional DOCSIS
user. This user simply uses one of the channels 102a-102N. In FIG.
5, the DOCSIS user is coupled to channel 102N. This conventional
user plays no part in the FastChannel arrangement. It merely
illustrates the co-existence of the FastChannel system and protocol
with a conventional DOCSIS system and protocol.
Assume a packet 110 arrives via the router 92 at a tunnel 96.
Tunnel 96 is connected to the CMTS via an interface having an IP
address designated as T1. The packet 110 originated at a source
with address S (identified with reference designator 10a in FIG. 5)
and is destined to the PC 106 having an address D (identified with
reference designator 110b in FIG. 5). It is further assumed in this
example that address D is an element of address space F (i.e. a
FastChannel address space).
The tunnel source 96 having the address T1 encapsulates the packet
by creating a new packet 112, placing the original packet 110 in
the payload field of the new packet 112, and adding a new packet
header 114. In the new header 114, the source address is T1
(identified with reference designator 112a in FIG. 5) and
destination address is one of a, b, . . . n, (identified with
reference designator 112b in FIG. 5) which are separate IP
interfaces on tunnel destination 104. It should be noted that
destination addresses a, b, . . . n are part of L's address space
and that each address pair (T1, a), (T1, b), etc. defines a
separate tunnel. The CMTS 100 is configured such that the
subnetwork address of which address a is a member, is mapped onto
cable channel 102a; similarly b is mapped onto cable channel 102b,
and so on; finally n is mapped onto cable channel 102N. The
encapsulated packets are then routed via the appropriate tunnel to
the tunnel destination 104. At the tunnel destination 104, the
encapsulation headers are removed to again provide packet 110, and
the packets are forwarded in their original order to the
destination, which in this case is the PC 106.
The net effect of this procedure makes available the sum of the
bandwidths of channels 102a through 102N to the path between source
tunnel 96 and the destination tunnel 104. It should also be noted
that the address allocation method of the present disclosure allows
legacy DOCSIS users to share channels with FastChannel users. As
depicted in FIG. 5, a PC 108 with address E (where E is in the L
address space) is able to receive data addressed to it, while
sharing channel 102N with the FastChannel-attached PC 106 with
address D.
It should further be noted that it may be desirable to maintain the
same (or even greater) ratio of upstream to downstream bandwidth
for FastChannel as for legacy DOCSIS. One reason is the well known
limiting effect that bandwidth asymmetry has on TCP performance.
Hence the tunneling, encapsulation and channel combining procedures
described above can also be applied to group together a
corresponding set of upstream channels.
Referring now to FIG. 6, an alternate embodiment of a demodulator
portion 120 of a FastChannel modem includes a plurality of tuners
122a-122d. Each of the tuners is provided from a respective one of
a plurality of down converter modules 124a-124d having a respective
one of a plurality of local oscillators (LO) 126a-126d coupled
thereto. Taking tuner 122a as representative of tuners 122b-122d,
the down converter module 124a receives RF signals at a first port
thereof and an LO signal at a second port thereof and provides an
output signal having a frequency equal to the difference between
the frequencies of the RF signal and the LO signal.
The output signals from the tuners 122a-122d are provided to
respective ones of filters 128a-128d with each of the filters
having a band pass filter characteristic. The filtered signals are
then fed to respective ones of a plurality of analog to digital
converters (ADC) 130a-130d. The ADCs 130a-130d receive the analog
signals at inputs thereof and provide at outputs thereof a stream
of bits which represents the analog signal fed to each ADC.
The ADCs 130a-130d are followed by processors 132a-132d each of
which perform a demodulation process, In one embodiment, processors
132a-132d perform 5 Msymbols/sec QAM demodulation. It should be
understood that although multiple processors are shown, this does
not mean that multiple integrated circuits would be required. The
demodulators 132a-132d provide the filtered, demodulated signal to
a serializer 134. Serializer 134 receives the signals in parallel
from the demodulators 132a-132d and re-serializes the packets to
provide a serial signal at an output port of the serializer
134.
The demodulator 120 illustrates one method for receiving
FastChannel data when parallel transmission is used. It should be
appreciated that in demodulator 120 multiple demodulators 132a-132d
are used, and the output is combined in the serializer 134. The
serializer would multiplex the received packets or frames. Such an
approach should not require extensive buffering, since the headend
controls the peak rate to each user. Such a demodulator can be
readily implemented using currently available commercial
components. An additional benefit of this approach is that any RF
channels can be used, they need not be adjacent to one another. One
drawback to this design is that it may be relatively expensive
compared with an integrated, multiple-channel demodulator since it
has more components, including multiple RF tuners and bandpass
filters.
It has thus been recognized that a category of techniques exists
that, in combination with protocols described above, can be used to
improve the peak rate. This category includes those techniques that
utilize parallel transmission. Employing parallel transmission over
conventional Data Over Cable Standard Interface Specification
(DOCSIS) protocol channels has the advantage of allowing users of
the DOCSIS protocol as well as users of the protocols described
above to simultaneously share the same channel. It has further been
recognized that although a trade-off must be made between modem
technology required for serial versus parallel transmission,
comparisons between these two categories of technology reveal that
the hardware for these two-types of modems will be similar at a
future point in time. It has been further recognized that CATV
network evolution, channel performance, and modem complexity should
all play a role in choosing between the various approaches. From an
IP networking perspective, it is simpler to provide a single "data
link" below the IP layer. However, CATV evolution considerations
favor the approach of transmitting the data over parallel RF
channels.
Thus, a method of sending data from a transmit site to a receive
site includes the steps of dividing a transmit data stream having a
first bit rate into multiple data streams with each of the multiple
data streams having a bit rate which is lower than the first bit
rate, and transmitting each of the multiple data streams over a
plurality of parallel RF channels wherein at least one of the RF
channels serves a plurality of users. The method further includes
the step of recombining the multiple data streams at the receive
site to provide a receive data stream having a bit rate equal to
the first bit rate. With this particular arrangement, a method that
improves the peak data transmission rate from a headend to a
subscriber is provided. The technique of the present disclosure
improves the performance and efficiency of the network for
transferring large files downstream by dividing the data and
transmitting the data over parallel RF channels. Because the peak
transmission rate of transmission control protocol/internet
protocol (TCP/IP) in the downstream direction is affected by the
performance of the upstream channel, and because additional
upstream bandwidth may enable new services, the same principle can
be applied to the upstream direction.
A system has also been disclosed for sending data from a transmit
site to a receive site includes a router, a tunnel source coupled
to the router, and means for providing packets over multiple
channels to a tunneling destination which receives the packets over
the multiple channels and serializes the packets. With this
particular arrangement, a system for enabling a data service which
allows users to utilize a connection having a speed that is higher
than the speed allowed by the current DOCSIS protocol is provided.
The system improves the performance and efficiency of the network
for transferring large files downstream by dividing the data and
transmitting the data in parallel over multiple channels. In a
preferred embodiment, the channels are provided as multiple RF
channels. Because the peak transmission rate of transmission
control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) in the downstream
direction is affected by the performance of the upstream channel,
and because additional upstream bandwidth may enable new services,
same principle can be applied to the upstream direction.
A system has also been disclosed for transmitting signal packets
from a source to two or more destinations includes a router having
at least two address groups and a tunnel source having an input
coupled to the router and having an output. A packet destination
address for each signal packet is mapped to one of the at least two
address groups in the router. Packets having an original
destination address which belongs to the first address group are
provided to the tunnel source. In response to the tunnel source
receiving a packet having an original destination address which
belongs to the first address group, the tunnel source assigns each
packet it receives to one of a plurality of addresses, each address
being associated with a tunnel destination address and each one of
the tunnel destination addresses being mapped to one of a plurality
of output channels. Packets having an original destination address
that belongs to the second address group, on the other hand, are
mapped onto a single output channel based upon their original
address. With this particular arrangement, a system that
automatically assigns messages to one of two address groups and
that provides improved faster access is provided for destinations
associated with the first group. The packets having the original
destination address that belongs to the first address group are
transmitted substantially simultaneously to the destination address
via the plurality of output channels. At the destination address,
the packets on each of the plurality of channels are combined.
All references cited herein are hereby incorporated herein by
reference in their entirety.
The illustrations of the embodiments described herein are intended
to provide a general understanding of the structure of the various
embodiments. The illustrations are not intended to serve as a
complete description of all of the elements and features of
apparatus and systems that utilize the structures or methods
described herein. Many other embodiments may be apparent to those
of skill in the art upon reviewing the disclosure. Other
embodiments may be utilized and derived from the disclosure, such
that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made
without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Additionally,
the illustrations are merely representational and may not be drawn
to scale. Certain proportions within the illustrations may be
exaggerated, while other proportions may be minimized. Accordingly,
the disclosure and the FIGs. are to be regarded as illustrative
rather than restrictive.
The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R.
.sctn.1.72(b) and is submitted with the understanding that it will
not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the
claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description of the
Drawings, various features may be grouped together or described in
a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure.
This disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention
that the claimed embodiments require more features than are
expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims
reflect, inventive subject matter may be directed to less than all
of the features of any of the disclosed embodiments. Thus, the
following claims are incorporated into the Detailed Description of
the Drawings, with each claim standing on its own as defining
separately claimed subject matter.
The above disclosed subject matter is to be considered
illustrative, and not restrictive, and the appended claims are
intended to cover all such modifications, enhancements, and other
embodiments which fall within the true spirit and scope of the
present disclosed subject matter. Thus, to the maximum extent
allowed by law, the scope of the present disclosed subject matter
is to be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of
the following claims and their equivalents, and shall not be
restricted or limited by the foregoing detailed description.
* * * * *